Hepatic falciform artery. Angiographic findings in 25 patients.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of hepatic falciform artery (HFA) occurrence on celiac or hepatic angiograms and elucidate the anatomy and clinical importance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among 1,250 patients who underwent celiac or hepatic arteriography, we encountered 25 patients (2%) with a HFA. Prospectively, CT hepatic falciform arteriography (CTHA) was performed in 4 patients. Indigocarmine dye was injected into the HFA in 6 patients to evaluate whether the abdominal skin was stained. Embolization of the HFA before chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma was performed in 4 patients to prevent abdominal wall injury. RESULTS: Among 25 patients, the HFA arose as a terminal branch of the middle hepatic artery in 14 patients (56%) and of the left hepatic artery in 11 patients (44%). The vessel was single in 18 patients (72%) and double in 7 patients (28%). Two vessels ran side by side along the hepatic falciform ligament. On CTHA, the HFA ran within the hepatic falciform ligament and the branches were connected with the liver around the hepatic falciform ligament. After indigocarmine dye injection, the stain of abdominal skin was recognized in all 6 patients. No abdominal wall injury occurred in any of the 4 patients who were subjected to hepatic chemoembolization. CONCLUSION: HFA is an extrahepatic pathway which runs to the abdominal wall. Before chemoembolization of the middle or left hepatic artery for hepatic malignancy, the HFA should be recognized.

Non-surgical therapy of primary aldosteronism: transcatheter arterial infusion of ethanol into an aldosteronoma.

Primary aldosteronism due to an adrenocortical adenoma can be cured by ablation of the adenoma, which produces an excess of aldosterone (aldosteronoma). This has traditionally been performed by surgical removal of the adenoma. However, some patients with aldosteronomas refuse surgical removal. Therefore, we developed a therapeutic method to ablate an aldosteronoma by transcatheter arterial infusion of ethanol. This method ablated the aldosteronoma in 27 (82%) of 33 treated cases and produced no serious complications, and may be one of the therapeutic choices for aldosteronomas.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization therapy using iodized oil for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: evaluation of three kinds of regimens and analysis of prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: The current study was conducted to evaluate retrospectively the effects of three kinds of regimens used in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and patients' prognosis, and to analyze their prognostic factors. METHODS: The study population was comprised of 152 patients who were treated by TACE alone. Three kinds of regimens were used successively: doxorubicin hydrochloride (ADM) and mitomycin C mixed with iodized oil in 26 patients (ADMOS group), a combination of cisplatin (CDDP) solution and ADMOS in 70 patients (CDDP-ADMOS group), and CDDP powder and pirarubicin hydrochloride mixed with iodized oil in 56 patients (CTLS group). The CTLS group was comprised of patients with significantly worse background factors than the other two groups. RESULTS: The initial tumor response rate with a > 50% reduction was 12%, 23%, and 30%, respectively, in the ADMOS, CDDP-ADMOS, and CTLS groups. CTLS was significantly more effective than ADMOS (P < 0.05), and slightly but not significantly better than CDDP-ADMOS (P <0.1). The cumulative survival rates for the ADMOS, CDDP-ADMOS, and CTLS groups were 59.0%, 70.1%, and 72.0%, respectively, at 1 year; 0%, 16. 3%, and 29.8%, respectively, at 3 years; and 0%, 4.1%, and 16.8%, respectively, at 5 years, with median survival times of 448 days, 574 days, and 758 days, respectively. The CTLS group showed a slightly but not significantly better survival than the ADMOS and CDDP-ADMOS groups (P <0.1). Multivariate analysis indicated that the significantly important prognostic factors (in order) were extrahepatic metastasis followed by the TACE regimen, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, and portal vein involvement and that CTLS was the best of the three regimens. CONCLUSIONS: Although TACE, using an effective regimen, improves clinical results, tumor factors appear to be more important when determining prognosis.

Localization of insulinomas. Comparison of conventional arterial stimulation with venous sampling (ASVS) and superselective ASVS.

PURPOSE: To examine the value of superselective arterial stimulation venous sampling (ASVS) to localize insulinomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Superselective ASVS (SS-ASVS) was performed in 9 patients with insulinoma. Injection of secretagogue (calcium gluconate: 0.01 mEq Ca++/kg) was performed into the gastroduodenal, splenic (proximal and distal), and superior mesenteric arteries in 9 patients and additionally into the dorsal pancreatic artery in 6 patients. Sampling from the hepatic vein was performed to measure serum insulin concentrations at 30, 60 and 120 s after each injection of secretagogue into these arteries. SS-ASVS results were correlated with surgical findings, compared to those of conventional ASVS. RESULTS: Insulinomas were correctly localized to the head, body or tail of the pancreas by SS-ASVS in 8 patients (89%). Conventional ASVS detected insulinomas in 7 patients (78%), although it could not distinguish whether the insulinoma was located in the pancreatic body or tail in 4 of the 7 patients. There were eight-fold or more increases in serum insulin levels in hepatic venous samples related to the artery supplying the tumor in 8 patients. Localization of the insulinomas was verified at surgery in all patients. CONCLUSION: SS-ASVS is a useful method for detailed evaluation of overproduction of insulin from pancreatic insulinomas and their localization. When the pancreatic insulinoma is situated in the pancreatic body or tail, the localization is more accurately made by SS-ASVS than by conventional ASVS.

Altered flow dynamics of intravascular contrast material to the liver in superior vena cava syndrome: CT findings.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the findings of altered flow dynamics in the livers of patients with obstruction of superior vena cava (SVC) on helical computed tomography (CT). METHODS: In six patients (age range = 28-80 years) with SVC obstruction, CT findings were retrospectively reviewed to identify the abnormal enhancement patterns of the liver and the relation with the extrahepatic collateral vessels and hepatic vessels. RESULTS: Abnormal hepatic enhancement was observed in the following four (A-D) portions: (A) anterior portion of segment IV (n = 5), (B) subdiaphragmatic portion of the liver (n = 4), (C) posterior portion of the right lobe (bare area; n = 1), and (D) lateral segment of the left lobe (n = 2). Two major collateral pathways to the liver were demonstrated as follows: A and D --> from the umbilical vein to the left portal vein, and B and C --> from the subcapsular vein to the bare area of the liver or to the hepatic veins. On helical CT, these collateral pathways were also clearly visualized. CONCLUSION: When these abnormal enhancements of the liver on CT are recognized within the liver, these findings indicate diversion of contrast material into collateral pathways to the liver with SVC obstruction.

A comparison of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with HBV or HCV infection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Close relationships between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatitis virus infection have been elucidated. However, clinical differences between HBV- and HCV-associated HCC remain unclear. METHODOLOGY: Four hundred and sixteen patients with HCC were examined for both HBsAg and HCV-Ab. Sixty-nine of the 416 patients (16.6%) were positive for HBsAg and negative for HCV-Ab (B-HCC), while 290 patients (69.7%) were negative for HBsAg and positive for HCV-Ab (C-HCC). Various comparisons were made between the 2 groups. RESULTS: B-HCC patients were younger in age (p < 0.0001), and had significantly better liver function than C-HCC patients. The motivation of HCC detection was different between the 2 groups (p < 0.0001), and the tumor size of B-HCC was significantly larger when comparing groups with regard to symptoms (p < 0.05). Although B-HCC demonstrated better survival in Stage I/II treated by surgery (p < 0.05), it was associated with poorer survival in Stage III/IV receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy when compared to C-HCC (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that clinical differences between B-HCC and C-HCC may depend upon the difference of the natural course between HBV and HCV infection, and B-HCC may be more resistant to treatment than C-HCC in the advanced stage. This also illustrates the need for early tumor detection in B-HCC.

A case of renal juxtaglomerular cell tumor: usefulness of segmental sampling to prove autonomic secretion of the tumor.

A 27-year-old female patient had been treated for hypertension with conventional therapy for years, because renal vein renin levels failed to show lateralization in renal venous samplings and a renal juxtaglomerular cell tumor (RJGCT) had gone undiagnosed. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a mass at the middle of the right kidney. The right renal venogram demonstrated distinct segmental veins from the upper pole and from the middle and lower poles in the right kidney. On segmental renin sampling from each renal vein, the plasma renin concentration (PRC) of the segmental veins from the middle and lower poles was higher than that from other sites. We diagnosed RJGCT of the right kidney and performed right-sided nephrectomy. After the resection, the PRC rapidly decreased. Immunohistochemical studies using antihuman renin antibodies revealed positive staining of the tumor cells. It is an important strategy to make a segmental sampling at the site as close as possible to the RJGCT.

Small hepatocellular carcinoma supplied by the right renal capsular artery. A case report.

We present a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which was fed only by the right renal capsular artery. Ten years earlier, this patient underwent surgery for a solitary HCC in segment IV. However, the hepatic artery was patent and did not participate in feeding the HCC. We consider the renal capsular artery as an essential extrahepatic parasitic feeding artery to HCC.

Transcatheter adrenal arterial embolization of cortisol-producing tumors. Two cases of Cushing's syndrome.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed in 2 patients with Cushing's syndrome caused by adrenal adenoma by using a mixture of absolute ethanol and iohexol. In 1 patient successful suppression of the hypersecretion of cortisol has continued for 9 months after TAE without complications. However, in the other patient, TAE was discontinued due to marked hypertension and tachycardia induced by a massive release of catecholamines from the embolized "normal" part of the tumor-bearing adrenal gland during the procedure. These results suggest that it is important to perform TAE of only the arterial branches feeding the tumor.

Cholecystoduodenal fistula: a complication of inserted self-expandable metallic biliary stents.

We encountered a case of hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma resulting in cholecystoduodenal fistula after insertion of self-expandable metallic biliary stents (EMBSs). To our knowledge, there has been no report of cholecystoduodenal fistula after insertion of EMBSs. This case suggests that immediate gallbladder decompression may be necessary if acute cholecystitis occurs after insertion of EMBSs.

Lymphoepithelial cysts of the pancreas: demonstration of lipid component using CT and MRI.

We present two cases of surgically proven lymphoepithelial cyst (LEC) of the pancreas that had a lipid component visualized by CT and MRI. Identification of this component in a pancreatic cystic lesion is a key to favor the diagnosis of LEC or splenic epidermoid cyst over other cystic lesions when the lesion is noted in an elderly patient.

Recanalization after coil embolotherapy of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: study of long-term outcome and mechanism for recanalization.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy of steel coils for embolotherapy of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) by reimaging the embolized PAVMs. CONCLUSION: We found a high incidence (57%; 8/14) of recanalization in PAVMs embolized with steel coils. Contrast-enhanced CT is useful for detection of recanalized PAVMs. Half of the recanalized PAVMs were fed by bronchial artery branches. Thus, coil embolization should be performed as close as possible to the PAVM to avoid future development of bronchial artery-to-pulmonary artery anastomoses that may cause recanalization.

Small cystic insulinoma: value of arterial stimulation venous sampling.

Cystic insulinomas are rare, with only three cases having been reported in the literature. It is not difficult to determine the site of such neoplasms, as cystic insulinomas are usually 4-10 cm in diameter. We report a patient with a histologically confirmed cystic insulinoma. This case is unique because of the small size (1.3 cm) of the tumor. Arterial stimulation venous sampling was useful for localizing and distinguishing this tumor from other pancreatic lesions.

Transcatheter arterial ablation of aldosteronomas with high-concentration ethanol: preliminary and long-term results.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transcatheter arterial ablation (TAA) of aldosteronomas with high-concentration ethanol (HCE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August 1992 to August 1995, 18 patients with unilateral aldosteronoma, three men and 15 women, 28-65 years old, were treated by TAA with HCE. A single dose (0.2-7.0 ml) of HCE was selectively infused into the feeding arterial branches of the aldosteronoma using a microcatheter and the coaxial technique. The 18 patients underwent 31 TAA procedures. RESULTS: Ablation of the aldosteronoma was monitored by measuring plasma levels of aldosterone and was successful in 15 (83%) of 18 patients. The remaining three patients underwent surgery because results of TAA were insufficient. The destructive effect of ablation by HCE has persisted for 7-38 months (mean, 20 months) in 14 patients. Although one patient had recurrence of symptoms 15 months after the initial TAA, normalization of plasma levels of aldosterone continued for 3 months after TAA was repeated. No severe complications occurred in any of the 18 patients. However, back pain (18 of 18), slight fever (nine of 18), pleural effusion (two of 18), and labile changes in blood pressure (one of 18) were noted in patients 1-7 days after the procedure. CONCLUSION: TAA of aldosteronoma with HCE is an alternative to open adrenalectomy.

Scintigraphic assessment of therapeutic success in aldosteronomas treated by transcatheter arterial embolization using absolute ethanol.

UNLABELLED: Adrenocortical scintigraphy was examined as an indicator of therapeutic success in aldosteronomas treated by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with absolute ethanol (AE). METHODS: Adrenocortical scintigraphy was performed 7 days after intravenous injection of 37 MBq 131I-6-beta-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol before and after TAE. Complete or incomplete therapeutic success was determined by periodic measurements of the levels of plasma aldosterone and correlated with the scintigraphic results. RESULTS: The aldosteronoma was visualized as a hot nodule in nine patients and a warm nodule in one patient before TAE. Scintigraphy showed a hot, residual hot or warm nodule on seven occasions (six occasions after the first TAE and one occasion after the second TAE) when the techniques were incompletely successful and disappearance on seven occasions when success was achieved (three occasions after the first TAE and one occasion after the second TAE). Of the seven occasions when TAE was unsuccessful, four patients received the second or third TAE to result in complete destruction of the aldosteronoma; three patients underwent unilateral adrenalectomy. CONCLUSION: Adrenocortical scintigraphy can correctly predict the effect of TAE on aldosteronomas and is a valuable indicator for decisions on the necessity of repeated TAE or adrenalectomy.

MR imaging during arterial-portography (MR-AP) in the detection of hepatic tumor: comparison with CT-AP.

This study was undertaken to compare the detection rate of hepatic space occupying lesion (SOL)s between computed tomography during arterial portography (CT-AP) and magnetic resonance imaging during arterial portography (MR-AP) and the differences in time intensity curve on MR-AP between HCC, metastatic tumor, FNH, and hemangioma. We performed CT-AP and MR-AP in 17 patients including 14 cases of HCC and one each of metastasis, FNH, and hemangioma. MR-AP was performed by Turbo-FLASH sequence. There was no statistically significant difference between CT-AP and MR-AP in detecting satellite lesions in terms of smallest diameter and number of flow defects (p > 0.05). Hemangioma showed rapid enhancement after the first pass and, consequently, the same enhancement as the hepatic parenchyma. MR-AP was comparable to CT-AP in the detection of hepatic SOLs. Hemangioma showed an enhancement pattern different from those of HCC, metastatic tumor, and FNH, which showed patterns similar to each other.

Transcatheter arterial renal and adrenal embolization with iohexol-ethanol solutions. Animal experimental study and clinical application.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The authors compared the embolic effect of radiolucent absolute ethanol (AE) with that of a radiopaque iohexol-ethanol (IES) solution for renal ablation in dogs and for the destruction of human aldosteronomas by the technique of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) to test whether IES can be an alternative to AE. METHODS: The embolic agents were infused through a balloon catheter into the renal arteries of 17 dogs (9 infused with 0.3 mL/kg AE; 8 infused with IES). The immediate and parenchyma were compared between the two groups. Transcatheter arterial embolization with IES also was performed in three humans with unilateral aldosteronoma. RESULTS: The IES was visualized faintly under fluoroscopy in all dogs. There were no significant differences in embolic effects between the AE and IES. Three patients with aldosteronoma were treated successfully by TAE with IES. CONCLUSIONS: The IES can be used as a "visible ethanol" to improve the safety and ease of ethanol embolization.

[Results of radiotherapy combined with CDDP (BAI) plus VP-16 in the treatment of inoperable non-small cell lung cancer].

Twenty-six patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer were treated by chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy from June 1988 to May 1990. CDDP (80 mg/m2) was given by bronchial arterial infusion (BAI) on day 1 in each course, VP-16 (80 mg/body) was given by drip intravenous infusion on days 1 and 2, and VP-16 (150 mg/body) was given orally on days 3 and 5. The patients were irradiated after this regimen with a single dose of 1.8-2.0 Gy, five times each week, to a volume which encompassed only the primary tumor. A total dose of 60 Gy or more was delivered. There were 10 squamous cell carcinomas, nine adenocarcinomas, five large cell carcinomas, one adenosquamous cell carcinoma and one poorly differentiated carcinoma. Median survival time (MST) was 354 days in stage III B patients and 280 days in stage IV patients. MST was 155 days in adenocarcinoma and 310 days in squamous cell carcinoma. MST was 372 days in PS 0 to 1 patients and 140 days in PS 2 patients. With chemo-radiotherapy in 17 cases resulted in no complete remissions and 10 partial remissions. The overall response rate was 58.8%. It is concluded that CDDP via BAI combined with VP-16 administration and sequential irradiation is useful to acquire a high response rate in non-small cell lung cancer. However, further studies on this modality are required.